


The Princess Trap

by MeanieGreenieZucchini



Series: The Ongoing Gay Shenanigans of She-Ra and Her GF [1]
Category: She-Ra - All Media Types, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Genre: Cheesy References and Puns, Dysphoria, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fluff, Grief, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Past Self-Harm, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Parent Stuff, Romantic Comedy, Slow Build, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, also some creative liberties were taken, body issues, both of them have lots of insecurities and thats ok, for now, oblivious lesbians, they're trans and gay harold, wow didn't expect to go that way yet here we are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-08-27 02:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16693816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeanieGreenieZucchini/pseuds/MeanieGreenieZucchini
Summary: What happens when two girls like each other an awful lot but don't really know how to express it. What about when their friends try to set them up together without even knowing it? Is this a major gay disaster or the beginning of a lovely relationship? Will these rhetorical questions ever end? Who's to say? Either way, this should be fun.A slowburn Glimmer/Adora fic with a lot of angsty happenings and romantic shenanigans.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first fic in a long while, but I hope y'all have fun reading!  
> Also, this takes place shortly after the events of season one so some spoilers are abound!

If there’s one thing Glimmer has more of than anything else, it’s certainty. It’s necessary for someone like her, as certainty in where you are and where you’ll be is paradigm for teleportation. Any lapse in confidence of this manner would surely result in some horrific accident. Likewise, Glimmer has also been a girl of strong conviction outside the realm of magic. She’s always known that in order to protect the people she loves, she had to engage the Horde, and was not one to be persuaded otherwise. The back and forth that had been going on between her and her mother only demonstrated one clear thing about Glimmer: once she’s sure of something there’s not much going back. Certainty was something she wasn’t ashamed of, or at the very least preferred over being called stubborn. This was the way things were and have been for Glimmer.

At least, that’s how things were before. Before Adora.

The moonlight parted through the lavishly tall windows in Glimmer’s room. Her bed hung high above the ground as usual, the sound of Bow’s snoring muted by the difference in height. Ever since the three of them started sharing the same room more frequently with each sleepover, Glimmer has been ever so thankful of that fact. But tonight, she was not sleeping soundly at all. She tossed and turned in the covers, aggressively trying to sleep to no avail. Her mind was preoccupied. It wasn’t the stress of combat from the recent battle for Bright Moon, however, that was getting to Glimmer tonight. Looking down from her bedside, she could see Adora, sleeping peacefully below.

It had only been a few weeks since she and Bow first met Adora in the Whispering Woods, but now it seemed that Glimmer couldn’t imagine life without Adora there by her side. She recalled the abrasiveness that she had towards Adora, the skepticism and distrust that nearly got all three of them killed that day. Even then she knew, at least deep down, that Adora wasn’t the same as the faceless soldiers that had done awful things all over Eternia. Even still, the thought of losing her friends due to her own bull-headed behavior wasn’t exactly one for a favorable bedtime atmosphere.

But when she thought about Adora, her genuine love of the world she’s known only recently, her strength that protects everyone, and the willingness to sacrifice everything in order to do so, Glimmer could only lay there and smile. It was almost as if there were other feelings that entered her heart in these quiet hours of the night, but she wasn’t sure what they were. Was it inadequacy? Friendship? Something more? It was something Glimmer hadn’t thought much of until recently, and it was this conflict that was causing the pink princess to remain awake.

Glimmer sat up from her bed and huffed. She was growing restless and wasn’t getting anywhere wallowing like this. Blinking out in a flash of sparkles, she teleported out of her bed and beside the door. She hated to step out of her room like this, but maybe some time alone will help her feel sleepy tonight.

 Glimmer carefully opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Her pajamas sparkled under the moonlight peering through the intricate windows. The simple pajama set was fairly unassuming, except for being covered head to toe in mermaid scales that switch between pink and white. She got them from Mermista as a gift and she’s not worn anything else to bed since. Rubbing her hand over her sleeve, she giggled slightly as she strolled through the castle. Sometimes, it only takes restless nights like these to remind Glimmer of her immature nature.

As she meandered into the dim halls, Glimmer thought of the first time she wore the pajamas. It was the same night that Adora, Bow and her tried and failed to stay up the entire night. She let Adora flip the sequins back and forth as they ended up laying together. Glimmer smiled warmly as she remembered Adora’s firm yet gentle touch. Part of the reason these were her favorite sleepwear as because they reminded her of that night, but she won’t admit to herself why that is. Not yet, at least.

“You’re up late, what’s bothering you dear?”

The posh voice of Queen Angella caught Glimmer off guard as she bleated like a frightened goat. She turned the corner and saw her mother gazing out the window, her face almost solemn in the light of the moon.

“Mom? How’d you know I was out this late?”

“You don’t think I can’t hear your pajamas when you um,” she mimicked the motion needed to change the colors, “jostle them about like that?”

“Oh, right, sorry,” Glimmer replied, setting her sleeve to be all pink once more. She felt slightly embarrassed but quickly brushed it aside. “Wait, what are you doing up late too?”

“I could ask the same of you,” Angella said, sighing slightly. “Some nights I just can’t seem to sleep soundly. So, I roam the halls until I get some peace of mind.”

“Really?” Glimmer was surprised that her mother was feeling the same way. It seemed the two of them are more alike than she first thought, though it had only occurred to her given recent events.

“Yes, and I suspect the same is true of you, dear. Would you care to talk about it?” Angella looked on at her daughter softly.

 Glimmer was always reluctant to spend time with her mother, partly to spite her for being too controlling and partly to avoid feeling inadequate by comparison. Sometimes it’s weird having a mother like the immortal angel queen of Bright Moon. Glimmer, deciding this would be more pleasant than going back to bed again, obliged.

“Sure Mom, but there’s not much to talk about, really.”

“I have a sneaking suspicion that’s not the case,” Angella said with a coy smile. “Do you know why I find it hard to sleep some nights?”

“No?” Glimmer said, confused as to what her mom was getting at.

“Well, you know I can’t help but worry about you from time to time. It’s only natural really, but sometimes it’s different. There are times when I think of your father,” she paused briefly, “those are the worst nights. I guess what I’m trying to get at is that, well, I can’t sleep because I think about the people I love the most.”

“W-what are you trying to say Mom?” Glimmer said, her face getting slightly red. She thinks she knows where her mom is going with this, and the last person she wants to admit this to is her mom.

“Oh nothing, really. It’s just that, if you and I are anything alike, I’d bet you have someone on your mind,” Angella said, knowing fully well that’s exactly what she meant. For as much as she liked to play the concerned mother role, the Queen wasn’t a stranger to playing the cool mom card. Or, at least she thinks it’s the cool mom card. Being an immortal magic queen makes her deck of parenting maneuvers a few hands short. “Now, it’s not my place to ask this of you, but as you mother, I would appreciate if you told me who it was.”

“Mom, I-I think you have the wrong idea here,” Glimmer said through confused frustration, “I’m just feeling a little anxious and I’d appreciate it if--”

“Is it Bow?” Angella interjected, “Please tell me it’s not Bow, because even I know that he’s not exactly into you like that. Not to say that you’re not good enough for him, you _are_ my daughter, its just that he’s not interested in uh…girls.”

If it were possible for Glimmer to be a brighter shade of red at this moment, science nor magic could explain it. “ _Mom!_ Please, just, no. You’ve got it all wrong, _ugh!_ ” Glimmer started to walk off, trying to forget she existed at this exact moment, but she stopped. “Why do you even care anyway?”

“What kind of question is that?” Angella looked almost hurt by the question. “Look I…haven’t always been the most understanding parent. I get it. I’m trying to do better. You’re getting to the point where you can make your own decisions, and I trust you to make the right ones, but I’d still like to be a part of things. That’s why I care.” For once, there was not a hint of authority in her voice. It was perhaps one of the most honest and open admissions Angella had made to her daughter, and it totally stunned Glimmer.

“Sorry mom, I guess I’m just tired and confused,” Glimmer said, looking away from her mother. Over the last few weeks, the relationship between the two of them had changed for the better. She was slowly being given more freedom in order to protect their kingdom from the Horde. Glimmer knew that this kind of decision was hard for her mother, since the weight of her father’s death was still heavy on both of their hearts. But her mother was trying, and Glimmer knew that. “If I tell you, promise not to tell anyone else ok?”

“Glimmer dear, why would I do that?” Angella took her daughters hands in hers. “Now, tell me why you’re up this late?” Her eyes sparkled with a hint of curiosity.

Glimmer sighed and took in a deep breath. “Okay. I couldn’t get any sleep because I was thinking about a lot of different things. Ever since Adora came into our lives, it seems everything’s been better? Like, we’ve done so much already. The Princess Alliance is back together! We defended Bright Moon from the entire Horde army! Everything, despite all the bad stuff that’s happened, has gotten better and it’s because of Adora.”

“Well, yes, Adora has certainly given us hope as a rebellion, but I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit. We’ve all exhibited courage on some level, we all played a part in doing all of those wonderful things you said,” Angella replied.

“That’s just it, I know that. But the thing is, all I can think about is Adora. I-I don’t know how best to explain it, its like,” Glimmer paused for a moment, “it’s almost as if, for the first time, I’m not entirely certain how I feel, and it’s keeping me up.” She finished her attempt at explaining how she felt, feeling somewhat relieved.

Queen Angella, quietly, let out a slight laugh and smiled down at her daughter. “I know exactly what you mean. Trust me when I say that, with time, it will get better. You’ll work things out and, hopefully, have far less sleepless nights. How about this, you head back to your room and try to get some sleep. If you’d like, I have some plans that might interest you. Perhaps it can help you sort things out?” Angella extended this offer as she unfurled her wings fully.

Glimmer simply nodded in approval as she yawned loudly. “Sure mom, I think I’ll try and go to bed again. Goodnight,” she said rubbing her eyes, blinking with a flash of sparkles into her bed.

Angella turned to go her own separate way, all the while taking delight in the naivety of her daughter’s situation. She had reached the conclusion her daughter wasn’t able to, at least not yet. For these feelings are not some adolescent confusion, it was a first crush.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, hopefully you all are enjoying it so far. I kind of have an idea of where i want this to go, but feedback of any kind would be super appreciated.  
> Also, due to my weekly schedule, updates might be at really odd hours from my timezone, but hopefully I should get a new chapter out every other say or so. We shall see.  
> I'm just trying to do my duty to the few hardcore Glimmadora shippers out there, y'all are braver than any Horde soldier.

Ever since she defected to the Rebellion, one of the many things Adora has learned over the past few weeks is that being raised by a supermassive military force hellbent on world domination doesn’t exactly make a kid emotionally perceptive. That is to say, sometimes its hard for Adora to read people’s feelings. When the majority of authority figures and peers growing up only seem to show competitive or aggressive behavior, friendship and empathy seem alien. Now that she’s had time to see what the world is like outside the Fright Zone, her friendship with Catra almost seemed like an outlier to the typical Horde Experience TM. But Adora doesn’t like to think about Catra for too long. She picked up the habit of self-loathing and guilt recently, and try as she might, 12-step programs aren’t the best approach for kicking it. What does help relieve some of these feelings for Adora however is some good old-fashioned physical activity.

The midday sun refracted through the windows that surround the gym. The room itself wasn’t very big, but the glass walls made the humble exercise center feel massive to Adora. Despite the fact she had been away from the Fright Zone for weeks, the subtle lack of narrow corridors, mechanical horrors, and oppressive atmosphere was still an adjustment for Adora. They weren’t kidding when they put the Bright in Bright Moon.

The only other person in the gym besides Adora was Bow. The two of them regularly went together, it was almost a ritual just between the two of them. While she wailed on the punching bag in the corner, Bow was using one of the various machines scattered about. He’s very proud of the fact that he personally worked on and even designed some of the exercise machines. Additionally, he also has a habit of naming the machines, his personal favorite is the, “Bow-Flex.” Sometimes Bow’s antics are a little strange to Adora, but she’s glad he enjoys his handiwork.

Sweat beaded on Adora’s body as she ran through her routine. Swift jabs and kicks, heavy breathing, heat radiating off of her body, this was what Adora was always good at. She was always seen as the most capable fighter amongst the other cadets in her team growing up, and for the longest time she enjoyed it. That was, until recently. Whenever she thinks of the praise she received growing up, it’s now accompanied by the remorse of knowing the pain her best friend felt. Rather, ex-best friend. The bag was now swinging more violently with every strike.

But things are different for Adora now that she’s She-Ra. She can finally use her abilities to help everyone. Its no coincidence she was destined to be the, “Princess of Power.” Or, at least that’s what Adora likes to think. Despite knowing that she isn’t like the She-Ra’s before her, what Light-Hope said about Mara still worries Adora. But she knows that won’t happen as long as she has Glimmer and Bow. Especially Glimmer.

For some reason, she always turned to Glimmer when she needed comfort. It’s not like she thought of her other friends any less, but Glimmer had a way of making things seem better like no one else did. Everything else in the world seemed softer with her. A warm glow radiated through Adora as she continued. Glimmer reminded Adora that she’s more than She-Ra, the Princess of Power. She’s Adora, the friend, and that’s all she ever needed to be.

But what if it’s not.

Adora couldn’t see or feel anything else but the punching bag in front of her. She was trying to distract herself from the cavalcade of questions she always seemed to ask herself. What if she does something that makes Glimmer really upset at her? What if Glimmer got hurt by the Horde? What if she loses control of She-Ra and hurts Glimmer herself? No matter what positive affirmation she tried to tell herself, Adora was clouded by overwhelming doubt. What if, what if, what if.

“Adora!”

She stops. The hook keeping the bag suspended was a few hits away from bursting out of the ceiling. The stinging pain in her hands finally hit her. She turned and saw Bow, looking at her in an even mixture of concern and fear. Adora blinked and let her arms drop.

“I’m sorry Bow, I wasn’t – I didn’t know I –”

“It’s okay, really,” he interjected, “I’m more concerned about you right now. Are you alright? You were hitting that thing so hard, I was worried it would fly right off the hook! I called your name but you weren’t even listening.” He moved over to one of the benches lining the gym and motioned for Adora to come sit.

Adora obliged and sat next to Bow and took a deep breath. “Sorry, I was just starting to get lost in my own head for a bit. Sometimes, when I get frustrated, I get to thinking that if I distract myself a bit harder then those thoughts will just,” she does a shooing motion with her hands, “go away. But I guess that wasn’t the case.”

Bow put a hand on Adora’s shoulder and gave a light sigh. “Adora, I know the gym is a place where you can literally work through some of your problems, but it can’t replace dealing with how you feel directly. It’s not healthy, just look at what you’ve done to your hands,” he said as he lifted one of her hands up. Adora winced as her habit to forgo boxing tape resulted in her hands turning a sore shade of red.

“You’re right Bow, I don’t know what I was thinking. Maybe I wasn’t,” Adora replied with a soft yet uneasy laugh.

“Listen, I’m your friend Adora. That means your problems are kind of also my problems. Well, not that we share every problem, that would be weird. I meant like, that you don’t have to face them by yourself. I know you know that,” Bow said as he handed her a towel. Adora accepted and attempted to wipe the sweat from her brow, but her fingers stung like hell as she gripped the towel. “Oh here,” Bow noted, “I’ll go get something for that.”

As Bow left the bench, Adora sat and thought about what he said. She had thought the very same thing back in the ruins. Her friendships make her who she is, they matter to her, and she knew that. What she didn’t quite grasp is how to be a good friend all the time. Is that even possible? Maybe not, but Adora knew one thing for certain: Glimmer was always a good friend, even when she didn’t mean to be. Adora smiled slightly as she reminded herself of all the things she thought were great about Glimmer. Her optimistic attitude, her sparkly hair, her lovely smile, Adora could go on and on. She felt a heavy, warm sensation in her chest not dissimilar from earlier when she thought of Glimmer. To Adora, it felt both totally natural and completely foreign.

Bow stepped back into the gym with a couple of ice packs and some water. “Here, that should help,” he said, handing it to Adora.

"Thanks Bow,” she said, accepting the aid. Her hands instantly felt soothed as her fingers hit the cold plastic. “Hey Bow, can I ask you a question?”

“You just did,” he said, smirking playfully. Adora rolled her eyes in response. “No but seriously, what is it you wanna ask?”

“Do you ever get that sort of…fuzzy feeling in your chest when you think about someone a certain way?”

“What are you getting at?” He asked with a raised eyebrow, his facial expression reading with less concern and more confusion.

“You know, like when you have someone that you think is super cool and looks nice and you hang around with all the time and your heart sort of just,” she put her iced hands together and made a fake explosion noise.

Bow laughed at Adora’s rather convincing demonstration. “Yeah, I get what you mean, why do you ask?”

“Shadow-Weaver told us feelings like that were an illness, but part of me thinks that’s as wrong as like, everything else she’s ever done,” Adora admitted. She immediately followed with an exaggerated groan, sticking her tongue out in coy defiance of her former shadowy matriarch.

Bow smiled, sensing the need to lighten the atmosphere. “Well, depending on who you ask it could be an illness. But that feeling you just described? That’s what I’d call love. Not like the love for your friends but something, uh, more than that. I haven’t really ever felt it strongly like that before, but I’ve had a few crushes on some dudes before.”

“You crushed guys you loved?!” Adora looked confused and mortified at the implication Bow would body slam loved ones.

“No not like, physically. A crush is when you love someone but you’re not sure if they love you the same way back. It kinda really sucks,” he said, looking slightly embarrassed at the topic. Suddenly, a connection was made in Bow’s head that made his eyes glow with excitement. He gasped, “Are you saying you’ve got a crush on someone?! Is that what’s bothering you? Who is it? Is it someone I know?”

Adora, between the squeaky voice and barrage of questions, felt slightly overwhelmed. “M-maybe?! Kinda? I- uh, what?”

Bow sprang up from the bench with a start. “You don’t have to tell me just yet, but if it’s someone I know then I would be more than happy to help in your romantic escapades,” He said with a Bow TM Smile.

“But, didn’t you say you’ve only had crushes? What do you know about stuff like th–”

“I’m glad you asked. Come with me, I’ve got some stuff I’d like to show you. Now, who’s your favorite actor, Beryl Streep or Gemmifer Aniston?” Before she had a chance to respond, Bow grabbed Adora up off of the bench and lead her out of the gym. She had a feeling she just stepped in a whole new world of complicated social interactions, and judging by Bow’s question, it was going to be a long and intensive process.  


	3. Chapter 3

Dreams are weird enough on their own, but for magic users like Glimmer, they can be even weirder. Some say the dreams of those who use magic have prophetic messages hidden inside a lot of vague half-truths and cryptic symbology. Others, like Glimmer, thought it was bogus. There have been times when a major event in Glimmer’s life was followed by a dream, but she rarely takes the time to write down the events before they escape her memory. However, the dream that had her waking with a start was not like the others. Whereas most dreams had no rhyme or reason, this one was different.

It scared Glimmer.

As she walked down the corridor on her way to breakfast, Glimmer thought of what she witnessed last night. She remembers being alone in a dark cavern, freezing in the damp air. Shuffling through the dark, tripping on rocks, and falling onto the ground, she was trying to find any way out of this nightmare. She huddled into a rocky corner and sat helplessly. Alone and afraid, Glimmer saw no way out. But suddenly, just as she was starting to cry, she wasn’t alone anymore.

It was Adora, not She-Ra, who was glowing with a brilliant golden light. She extended a hand and lifted Glimmer off of the ground. Glimmer’s heart felt at ease as Adora’s arms wrapped around her. Nothing else mattered as a warm, loving light lit the path out of the dark. The two of them didn’t share a word as they walked hand in hand. Glimmer looked at Adora. It was almost as if something was moving them together as they leaned in towards each other. Adora simply smiled in return. Glimmer closed her eyes and, as their lips almost met, hoped for the best to happen

But before anything could happen, a terrible noise shrieked through Glimmer’s heart. A horrendous beast was shambling from the dark towards them. Glimmer took a step back. Adora pulled out her sword but couldn’t finish her trademark pledge to Greyskull before the monster swept her away, landing somewhere in the dark with a resounding thud. The light that was coming from Adora was now surrounding Glimmer as she began to panic.

Just as the dream was ending, she caught a glimpse of the monster that was bolting towards her. It was a hulking abomination that, for some reason looked familiar. Despite the fact that it was pale and feral, it was wearing the same suit that her mother tried to get her to wear years ago. It was much taller and broader than Glimmer, but its eyes were a dead match. What got her heart racing, however, wasn’t the fact that it looked like her, but the dread that came from realizing that it was her.

Or something she could have been.

Trying to interpret meaning from dreams was a fool’s errand to Glimmer, but it still didn’t help that this particular one creeped her out. But, putting it behind her, she walked into the dining room.

Queen Angella, taking her seat at the end of the lavishly long table, was surrounded by a few light breakfast items, her morning tea, and a sizable stack of books. It was not out of place, but still odd for her to do any reading outside of her study. Glimmer blinked over to her seat.

“Uh, what’re you reading Mom?” Glimmer asked as she took a bagel from the arrangement of dishes on the table.

“Oh, good morning Glimmer, didn’t notice you teleported in. I was busy rereading _Pride and Prejudice and Princesses._ It’s one of my favorites, don’t you remember?” She closed the book and gave Glimmer that look that only a mother has when she expects a correct answer.

Glimmer, halfway into her breakfast, paused and returned with the look that only a daughter who has no clue what she should have already done has. “Remember what?”

“Did you not read any of the books that were part of your summer reading? Your tutor didn’t give you that list to forget about, I helped write it you know,” she said. While Angella looked slightly disappointed, Glimmer laughed nervously in response.

“Oh, yeah that. Bow read them to me and I kinda got the jist of them after that,” Glimmer responded as she took another bite of bagel. In hindsight, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have your only friend at the time being your source of schooling.

“Well, just as a refresher, some of these great works of literature contain examples of some of the most intricate relationships between characters in all of fiction. I was just reminding myself of some of them this morning,” Angella said emphatically. This was a subject that Angella knew of extensively. The subtle back and forth between aristocratic social interactions, the raw emotions subdued by eloquence and posh mannerisms, it was all stuff that the Queen of Bright Moon could never tire of.

“Ok, so what does any of that have to do with me?” Glimmer was slightly disturbed by the enthusiasm her mother held for such dusty old stories, but then again, Glimmer wasn’t exactly one for mushy romance stories in the first place. Whenever Bow suggest they watch _27 Shields_ or _13 Going on 3,000_ , Glimmer politely declined. If this is going the direction she thinks it is, Glimmer is about to regret everything.

“Well, not an awful lot to be quite honest, it’s just that it has been a long while since I ever had to deal with the nasty business of romantic feelings. I had only ever been with your father, and even then, the name of the game was something different entirely. I doubt that you’d find much use in these. I was just wanting to chat about how you felt last night and, perhaps, if maybe I could provide advice on how to approach your ‘situation’.”

Sensing some ulterior motive behind her tone, Glimmer was quick to respond. “Mom, trust me, I think you’ve still got the wrong idea. Like you said, I’ll get over it. I don’t need you to tell me how to handle things,” Glimmer said, trying to defend the last bit of denial she held against her mother. She already agreed to discuss this with her mother, despite rejecting the idea of having any crush. Her mother, however, wasn’t buying it.

“I understand this might be an…awkward subject for you to discuss with your mother, but you can’t sit here and tell me that the thoughts that have been keeping you up at night are no big deal. You know that, and I know it from experience,” Angella said firmly, almost with a hint of soreness in her voice. It only took a split second to realize the mistake she had made as Glimmer looked shocked. It had been years since then, and neither of them were reluctant to admit anything even happened. She took a breath and resumed. “Now, before we begin, you need to admit to me exactly what it is that has you worked up. I want to make sure I really do have the right idea. Please,” her tone hushed for a moment, “just tell your mother.”

Glimmer looked at her mother intently. This was not the same Angella who was quick to ground her over the tiniest defiance, and definitely not the one who tried to keep her from fighting for her home. Her tone was soft, almost careful not to open up either of their old wounds. Things between them really have changed. But as she recalled their conversation from last night, it was clear that this was not just an attempt to peer into her love life. Angella was trying to see if these troubling thoughts weren’t anything seriously harmful. A little late in that department, but to Glimmer, late was better than never.

“Ok.” Glimmer closed her eyes and began. “I wasn’t kidding when I said it was about Adora. I haven’t been thinking about,” she was hesitant to finish the thought, “I haven’t been thinking about Dad. Also, I haven’t been thinking about hurting myself or anything like that. I haven’t for a long time,” she said with a sigh. Her mother gave a signal of relief with her own sigh, grabbing her daughters hand into hers.

“I’m glad that my fears were just me worrying too much again. I should’ve known my daughter was still the same strong girl she always is –” Angella said, interrupted by Glimmer hugging her tightly. She returned the hug as Glimmer started to cry gently into her mother’s arms. Angella knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but she’s glad that her daughter wasn’t hiding something from her. Considering her daughter’s nature of keeping some things secretive, Angella was put at ease knowing that whatever was bothering Glimmer wasn’t drastic. They both still remember the last time a blind eye was turned to something of the nature.

After a few minutes, Glimmer stopped her tears as she pulled away from their embrace. She was finally ready to admit to herself, and to Angella what she had been feeling. “Hey Mom, can I tell you something?”

“Of course, dear, go ahead,” Angella said.

“Well, um, maybe perhaps you were right about those old books not having much to do with me, but there’s one part about them that I think you were right about.” Glimmer swallowed a bit of her pride. “I have absolutely zero clue how to begin a relationship with someone.”

Angella only raised a brow in response. She could finally act on the hunch that she picked up on the night before. “Really? But you made friends with Adora rather quickly didn’t you? That’s a relationship.”

Glimmer started to blush a light pink as she continued. “That’s not the same! I mean, yeah, it’s a relationship. But it’s not the kind I meant. I…” she paused and picked up one of the books, “You said that the people in these stories knew how to do all that kind of stuff right?”

“And what do you mean by, ‘that kind of stuff?’” Angella knew exactly where this was heading, but she knew she couldn’t press it until Glimmer wanted to tell her all about it.

“You know, dating and romance and telling someone that you like them. Romancy stuff,” Glimmer said, making it quite obvious she had no experience with this whatsoever.

“I see, so you mean to tell me you’re being kept up at night because you don’t know how to tell someone you like them?” Angella said in a slightly playful tone, trying to make the situation a little less intense than a few minutes ago.

“Not exactly. I’m not even sure if I like them, or if they’d ever like me back if I did. Maybe I’m just full of wishful thinking or perhaps I’m just a big doofus, or—”

“I think I’ve heard enough,” Angella interrupted, “Glimmer, first of all, you are not a ‘doofus’, and anyone who would think so doesn’t deserve your company anyhow. And secondly, you’re just in the middle of a crush, dear, its completely natural to think all of those conflicting thoughts, trust me,” she said, giving a look of motherly support.  

“Really?” Glimmer gave a quiet sigh of relief. “I guess I wouldn’t know, since this is apparently my first one of those and all. So, um, what should I do?”

“That I’ll leave up to you,” Angella said, leaving her chair and unfurling her wings. “I can’t tell you how to deal with a crush. This is something you’ll have to figure out a little on your own, but I will tell you this: be honest, respect their boundaries, and try to find out how they feel about you as well. If you can do that, then maybe things will work out for you. Now,” she picked up her stack of books, “I will return these to my study. You’re welcome to read them of course, but like I said, they aren’t exactly relevant to princesses of today.”

As her mother walked out of the dining room, Glimmer remained at the table for just a moment. She grabbed another bagel and took a bite. This was going to be a lot more complicated than she previously thought.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad y'all are liking the fic so far. I've read your comments so far and I gotta say thanks to everyone whose shown support. also, if things got a little weird/intense for a moment, trust me, I didn't plan on writing it out like this either. just sort of happened really. but trust me when I say I got even bigger plans for this than I originally intended. We're gonna get to these two nerds actually dealing with stuff between them, don't worry. Please let me know what you think and whether you like it, hopefully the next update will be in the next few days. Peace!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick update, the end of the semester is coming and I'm not sure if I'll be updating as regularly as I hoped. Once that's all over I'll definitely step it up. I have an idea of how I want this to play out but it'll be a while. Hopefully that fills the Glimmadora void on AO3 .   
> Also, I was playing around with the idea of starting a discord, just to interact with some of y'all. Idk, maybe if some ppl show interest I'll make one, but just a thought.   
> Hope y'all enjoy.

The art of the cinema on Eternia was not widespread, only a few kingdoms were actively invested in their production. The Horde were proficient at manufacturing propaganda material filled with ultra-violent, militaristic schlock. The common narrative of the lowly grunt rising the ranks and saving the nation was common in these indoctrinating films. Adora was all too familiar with these films, and for the longest time she was under the impression that movies were all like this.

Bright Moon and the Frost Kingdom were the two major entertainment producers, but the effort in filming any has slowed dramatically over the last few decades due to the rising conflict. This means that many of the films outside of the Fright Zone were tremendously dated. Despite this, Adora quickly latched onto some of the more whimsical stories. In a world of magic and wonder all around her, Adora still liked the idea of being able to become someone different – someone who didn’t have to follow the path laid out for them. She took comfort in the idea that people will love you for who you are, and that you don’t need to be the hero of every story.

At least, it comforts her from the reality of being the destined hero of the entire world.

The sun was beginning to set through the mountains as the credits rolled for the sixth movie Bow had convinced Adora to watch with him. The two of them had spent the last few hours together watching Bow’s personal library. Several empty bags of popcorn littered the room. Adora sat up from her set on the floor of Bow’s room and turned the mini-projector off, her hands no longer stinging but still bandaged.

“So, that’s my full collection of rom-coms. I hope that gives you the right idea about what you’re going through,” Bow said. He gathered his movie cases for classics such as _He’s Just Not into Your Dragon_ and _There’s Something About Mariana, Queen of the Sea_.

“Oh, right, that,” she replied. It had not occurred to Adora once throughout that entire marathon that she should have been paying attention to the romantic elements in any of those films. She was too busy laughing at the strange predicaments these attractive people got themselves into. She especially loved when, after an hour of building tension, the couple at the end would get together and be happy. But, while Adora was enjoying the marvel of these cheesy movies, she didn’t make the connection as to why she loved those happy endings.

Bow gave a curious look. “I enjoyed the excuse to watch these again, spending time with my friend is always good. But I guess what I’m trying to say is that, I can’t offer much more advice. I mean, it’s not like I can provide any personal experience,” Bow said with a hint of something more.

Adora remembered what Bow said earlier and looked at him with confusion. “What do you mean, you said you crushed a few guys right? Didn’t you do all of those things with them?”

“What, no, no not at all,” Bow said with a voice crack. “I mean, I wanted to. That’s what a crush is: wanting to do all of those things with someone. Dating, holding hands, other…stuff. Look,” he sat down for a moment as Adora followed, “I haven’t really been out that long. Plus, I’ve been kind of scared to actually ask anyone out. It’s…complicated,” Bow finished, looked away for a moment.

A lot of what Bow just said was going above Adora’s head, not because she was inattentive, but because these ideas were previously not a large part of her life before leaving the Horde. Relationships, “coming out”, dating, all of it was not deemed valuable by her superiors, and therefore not given much though. Even though it was a little much at times, Adora understood that this was important to Bow, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I understand, I get it. It’s just that a lot of these things were just not…there in the Fright Zone. And now that I’m away, around people that care about me – really care about me – it’s hard to know how to feel, if that makes any sense.” Adora looked at Bow as he gave a trademark smile.

“It does, don’t worry. Also, its not ‘crushed’, its ‘having a crush’,” Bow replied.

Adora gave a sly smile in response. “Hey Bow, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“So, when you were uh, ‘having a crush,’ did you ever tell them?” Adora asked as Bow sat up.

“Well, no, but I wanted to. At least, I did at the time,” he replied, Adora standing as well. Turns out sitting on the floor for hours in the dark makes everything a little sore.

“Why not?” Adora started to pick up the remnants of movie-time snacking scattered all over the floor.

“For about ninety percent of them, I was still pretty young and they were mostly just infatuation. I got over them pretty quickly,” he gave a laugh, “I was mostly confusing attempts at friendship with romance. Growing up trans is weird,” Bow said in a sarcastic tone. From what Adora knew about being trans, its definitely not easy. Everything she knew about it was what Bow had said about his experiences growing up, but he failed to mention everything. “What about you, why haven’t you told the person you like?”

Adora just about dropped the many buttery bags in her hands. “Well, I mean, I uh,” she thought about the question for a moment, “I don’t know? I guess I’ve been trying to avoid thinking about it too much to consider actually being the one in a relationship.” Adora threw the garbage away and leaned against the wall. “Part of me believes these films aren’t the best way to go about things, I mean, who listens to the girl that invites three potential fathers to her wedding without telling her mom?  I mean that’s just—”

“Adora, I think that’s not exactly the best example,” Bow interrupted, “but I like where you’re heading. Can I ask a few questions about who this mystery person is? I might be able to guess who they are,” Bow said with a smile that bordered on the mischievous.

“Sure, I guess,” Adora replied. She knew that Bow was her friend, but she worried how he might react if he ever knew how she felt about Glimmer. One of the recurring themes in those silly movies was the trio of friends getting separated due to two of them getting together. She didn’t want to ruin her friendship with Bow, and even worse, she fears his potential as the side antagonist that crashes the first wedding in the second act.

“Ok, so how long have you known this person?” Bow asked, grabbing a notepad. Adora wasn’t the biggest fan of interrogations, and she definitely didn’t expect this to turn into one.

“About uh, a month?” Adora wanted to leave her answers vague. She had really only been with the Rebellion for approximately a month, and that includes meeting the others in the Princess Alliance, leaving the door wide open.

“I see,” Bow said as he started writing on his paper. “And, when exactly did you start having feelings for this person?”

Adora froze. Without an immediate answer, she pulled out a notebook of her own. It was her journal, a habit she kept from the Horde, that was dated starting at her first day in Bright Moon. She flipped frantically through the first few pages, skimming over the content. Most of her writing was pragmatic, with short sentences and very few details. Many of the details in her writing were mostly summary of the events of the day. What wasn’t characteristic of her writing, however, were questions. Given the culture shock of life outside the Fright Zone, there were many questions Adora had, such as, “Parties, birthdays, correlation?”, and, “Is it always this bright in Bright Moon?” It was charming to see her past self’s reflection on the place she would come to know as home.

She flipped to a page towards the back that held particular interest to her – a page all about Glimmer. She kept one for each of the people she knew, mostly out of habit. Adora read through the comments she had made about Glimmer and felt that feeling again. Several points of interest included the softness of her hair, the sparkles that seem to surround her when she’s full of magic, and the sound of her voice when she talks in her sleep. No other mini-dossier held such intimate details. Adora flipped back to the first page, where the very first mention of Glimmer had a footnote that said, “Good friend, feels sweet, hope she likes me.” Adora took a breath, and with a warm smile, put the journal away.

“Just about since I first met her.”

Bow looked up at Adora from his notes. Adora’s look instantly hardened. He raised an eyebrow as he discarded his current page, opting to write anew. He flipped the page and Adora read the words, “You’re gay?”

Adora laughed out loud for a moment. “Well yeah, I guess I am. Did you think I was talking about you or something?”

Bow gave a smirk. “No, I wasn’t worried about that, just trying to get you to stop being so serious all the time. I mean, who has to pull out notes to see if they like someone?”

“Well, its not like that,” she said with a little embarrassment, “it’s just force of habit. Besides, I was just making sure it wasn’t one of those infamatation things you were talking about.”

“Infatuation.”

“Gesundheit!”

The two of them paused for a moment and shared a quick laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Both of them knew that the thought of being an item grossed them out, but they knew that as friends they could be great company, and this was one of the many examples of their personalities working excellently together. As they both stopped laughing, the question still hung in the air.

“Then who is it?”

Adora blinked. “I think you already know, Bow.”

Bow looked down at the discarded paper. A few people’s names were on it, with no definitive conclusion reached. Several question marks surrounded Sea Hawk for some reason, and the runners up being Perfuma and, “That one Horde Cat-Girl that I don’t remember her name”. Bow shook his head in defeat. “No, I really don’t.”

Adora pinched the ridge of her brow for a moment. For as brilliant as he was with technology and contraptions, Bow was surprisingly not using that brain of his to make the connection. She took a breath and decided to tackle it head on. “If I tell you, promise you won’t be upset with me, ok?”

Bow smiled. “Of course, you don’t have to worry about me, we’re talking about your crush here, right?”

She smiled back nodded. “Ok. I think, no, I know for certain… I like –”

A loud knock at the door interrupted her thought as the booming voice of a castle guard followed. “She-Ra, we need your help! Somethings happened at the conservation site, we need you there immediately!”

With a defeated expression, Adora looked at Bow. He nodded and said in a muted tone, “Go, they need you. We can talk about this later.”

Adora understood as she grabbed the sword from the floor, the thing that started it all, and arguably gave her the freedom from the Horde she never knew she needed, and also the thing that many saw as the last hope for the Rebellion. She stepped out of Bow’s room and said the phrase that transformed her into the golden warrior. With a blinding flash, She-Ra stood before the guard at the door way.

 As she followed the guard down the hall, Adora wondered if even telling Bow was the right thing to do. She thought he seemed a little down when she left. Maybe he wouldn’t approve, or maybe he knows something about Glimmer that she doesn’t. What if Glimmer wouldn’t ever like her that way, and he knows it? Or what if it’s something far worse? These were all questions that plagued Adora, but she couldn’t be Adora right now.

Right now, they need She-Ra, and She-Ra can’t worry about those kinds of things – she wasn’t allowed to.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter, we're getting into the meat of it now y'all.   
> Classes and stuff are starting to get hectic, so I'm not sure when the next one will be out, but I promise it won't be too long!

Glimmer had always had a complicated relationship with the idea of what it meant to be a girl. Her mother had always been a role model for just how a lady should act: eloquent, posh, and composed. It’s no wonder why her recommended literature was filled to the brim with protagonists that embodied all these traits. But, like Angella said, these books don’t quite hold up to today’s standards. Princesses come in all shapes and sizes, they’re no longer confined to the narrow, doll-like mold of days past. Yet, this didn’t stop Glimmer from feeling at times like she was the only princess who was doing it all wrong. Some days, the only thing she notices about herself are the small things. Her shoulders were a bit broader, her face was a little too wide, she was too loud and temperamental. Everyone has parts of themselves they wished would go away forever, but for Glimmer, they sometimes far outweighed the parts she liked. It’s a good thing those days are far less frequent now than they used to be.  

Sometimes, however, those days still happen.

Glimmer sat in her room, a small pile of books beside her, as she continued to slog through _Sense and Sorcery_. Compared to what she was used to, this book was truly a challenge to get through. Some of the words used to refer to the beastfolk on Eternia would be considered quite offensive if used today. The story was mostly just the daily proceedings of socialite elites as they came of age, going basically nowhere. The, “subtle intricacies,” her mother described was a lot of back-and-forth nonsense mostly done in letters. The main couple in question don’t even see each other face-to-face until 300 pages in! Glimmer decided, after about the 5th hour in that this was a colossal waste of time.

Glimmer shut the book and set it to the side, teleporting up to her bed and laying down with a soft thud. Literally nothing of value was learned from any of what she just read. Was her mom pulling one over on her? It wasn’t like her to pull pranks. Maybe she was reading it wrong? Glimmer was confident she knew how to read correctly. She lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling and wondering if there was something she was missing. Hiding under the covers, Glimmer could feel a wave of doubt creeping up on her.

She knew she liked Adora, a lot. Like, a tremendous amount of, “a lot.” Even though she couldn’t admit it to her mom, Glimmer could at least start saying it to herself. She knew it ever since she first saw Adora transform into She-Ra, a part of her deep down knew no ordinary Horde spy could become a golden warrior princess like that, and it only grew as she got to know Adora. Adora was strong and sweet, like a warm sunrise. She had given the Rebellion hope again, she was everyone’s hero and had everything Glimmer didn’t. At least, that’s what Glimmer thought.

Planting her face into a pillow, Glimmer groaned miserably. Several thoughts began to buzz about her mind. What if she wasn’t good enough for Adora? What if Adora didn’t like her back? What if their friendship became ruined forever if she knew? Glimmer, trying and failing to feel utterly hopeless, continued making muffled noises into her pillow. Now was not a good time to get a case of incredibly sad girl hours, but Glimmer didn’t know what else to do.

“Glimmer? You up there?”

She recognized Bow’s voice from the doorway below, not noticing his entry, and gave a thumbs up in reply. Glimmer wasn’t inclined to move her position from the bed at the moment.

“You doing ok?”

Her only reply was to turn her hand to a thumbs down. This was not a conversation that she wanted to be having at the moment.

“That bad huh?” Being friends as long as they have, they were impeccable at reading each other. Bow climbed up the floating platforms leading to Glimmer’s bed and sat on its edge. Having a bed so high up was no problem for a teleporter like her, but ever since Glimmer had her connection severed from the Runestone by Shadow Weaver, she kept a path up there just in case. Glimmer let out a long, exhausted sigh as she rolled over to face Bow, he hair now in disarray.

“Let me guess, just another one of those days?” Bow inquired, his eyes carrying the burden of understanding. The two of them had been friends ever since they were young, it had been years since they first met, but the connection the two of them had was truly unique among friends. This was not to say everything was easy between them, friendships can be tested over the course of time. Despite this, if Glimmer had never met Bow all those years ago, she doesn’t like to think of who she would be today.

“I guess,” Glimmer responded, “but, thanks for checking in on me.” She sat up and gave a not-so-convincing smile. Bow smiled back, though his was more that of a concerned friend. His eyes glanced over at the dusty colored tomes on her bed with curiosity.

“So, what’s with the books? I thought you were about to die of boredom when I read them with you the first time.” Bow grabbed the copy of _Wizarding Heights_ and pretended to examine it. Glimmer knew all about the unorthodox ways he liked to involve himself in his friends’ concerns. For as excitable and cheerful he was most of the time, he was also capable of great restraint. Maybe it was his in his nature as a natural born archer, maybe it was just Bow, she didn’t know. However, it was always a bit funny that he tried to play the straight man in a dilemma very well when he was anything but straight.

“It’s a little complicated. I asked my mom for advice and she recommended I look at these – big mistake.” Glimmer remembers when she first had to read some of these as part of her curriculum. Bow mostly read them aloud and she listened, she was not always the best at absorbing information visually. For some reason, she thought it was a great idea to try and read them all in one setting. Her reasoning was less that she suddenly was better at literary comprehension, but that she was ready to do drastic things in order to not feel like a confused gay mess.

“So, wait,” Bow put the book down and raised a brow, “you asked your mom for help, and she gave you homework?”

“What, no, I mean, yes, but she also gave me other advice. I just,” Glimmer paused for a moment, “I asked her about relationship stuff. I think I am crushing for someone hard.” All of a sudden, a sparkle entered Bow’s eyes. He almost lit up with excitement as he gasped.

“You finally got yourself a first crush?!” Bow’s voice cracked a little.

“Yeah, I guess I do, but I guess I’m just feeling weird about the whole thing?” Glimmer looked away from Bow. “I don’t know, it feels weird saying it out loud. I’m not sure how you’d feel about it, considering who it is and all.” At the precise moment Glimmer realized she said too much, the connection was already made in Bow’s head.

“I’m ok with it, trust me, and she will be too,” Bow said with a start. Glimmer started to blush and exasperate in confusion.

“But, I, how, what? Who do you think I’m talking about, Mister ‘I-Thought-The-Bard-Singing-Love-Songs-Liked-Me’ Bow?!”

“Ok, first, that was once and I was young and considerably more stupid. Second, I think its quite obvious,” Bow said as he lifted a hand and started to count off the various times it was obvious to literally everyone in a very excited tone. “The way you talk about her when she’s not around, all the times you two manage to somehow fall asleep together, the way you two shared that hot spring in Mystacor?! I mean we’re close friends Glimmer, but I even I wouldn’t get that close to someone in a hot spring! Not unless I was dating them,” Bow finished with a look of determination. Glimmer knew that look well, and it was hard to change his mind once it was made up. No wonder they were good friends.

Glimmer sat for a moment, feeling embarrassed as she was called out for her unknowingly gay behavior. It never occurred to her that other people might have already reached the same conclusion as Bow. She quickly buried her face in a pillow as the feeling of being a gay disaster overcame Glimmer. Bow laughed at Glimmer’s reaction and gave her a pat on the back. “Hey, its ok, you’re realizing it now, and that’s good! Now, you know what this means right?”

Glimmer looked up from the pillow. “Yeah, that Adora thinks I’m a weirdo and the moment I tell her she’ll never want to be my friend again?”

“Glimmer, you could not be any more wrong. Look,” Bow continued as he put a hand on her shoulder, “I’ve been hanging out with Adora all day. She’s been going through some stuff of her own lately. I think what she could use more than anything is some more time with you, and who knows, maybe things can just,” he put his hands together, “happen.” Bow conveniently left out the part about Adora’s crush of her own, but part of him thinks the timing is not a coincidence.

“You really think it’ll turn out ok? I mean, does she even like girls? Does she know about me being—”

“No,” Bow interrupted, “She knows about me but unless you told her than I don’t think so. But I want you to listen to me Glimmer,” his tone shifted to one that was absolutely serious, “don’t ever let who you are make you afraid to be with the people you love. Adora’s just beginning to learn about what being trans means and she is not like other people. She’ll understand perfectly fine. You are an amazing, wonderful girl and if she doesn’t see that…” Bow started to tear up. He was not a man afraid to get emotional at times, but sometimes he was prone to letting them get the best of him.

Glimmer gave Bow a hug as he started to cry. She looked at him with a smile, this time renewed with energy. “I get you dude. Thanks, you always know how to pick me up out of a funk. Now,” she playfully fake-punched his shoulder, “get yourself together, you magnificent bastard.”

Bow nodded and wiped away the last of his tears. “Alrighty. Now I guess I’ll wait and see how you two manage. And by that, I mean how quickly the two of you madly swoon into the other’s arms.” He sat up onto one of the platforms. “Adora’s currently doing She-Ra things at the conservation site, she’ll be back in a while. I’ll probably be back at my room, so I’ll see you two lovebirds later.”

Glimmer nodded as Bow made his way down and shut the door behind him on his way out. She blinked down from her bed with the stack of books in her hands. Having no more use for them, she made her way back to her mom’s study to give them back. Suddenly, it seemed as if no book in the world could tell her how to do anything. She was Glimmer, and that’s exactly the person she wanted to be.

And nothing could make her happier knowing that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I have returned from finals week and and ready to continue posting again. 
> 
> Basically, I'm going to end the story here, as you'll see in a minute. Did i originally intend for this to be a super long abomination of continual frustration? Did i run out of ideas/didn't want to make myself too sad writing them? Am i going to pick up weird plot threads I dropped in sequels? Theres going to be a series for this? 
> 
> Short answer: yes. Long answer: yessssss. I'm going to at least pick this up in a sequel story and after that?? who knows, but i do know that if you wanna hang out and possibly meet other people who like content like this, then you should totally join my discord! links in my bio. 
> 
> This is a fluffy one folks, enjoy.

Sometimes, being the Princess of Power was hard. Not that the job description or anything; being the center of an entire rebellion and the bastion of hope for Eternia wasn’t easy. At least, that would be the case if there was a job description. Adora wasn’t one to kid herself when it comes to what she can and can’t handle, but she knows that with the support of her friends that she can do anything. Even if she didn’t have a radical sword that made her a tall, glowing powerhouse of justice, she knows that her relationships with others are what truly gives her strength.

But magic swords can’t help with everything.

The moon was beginning to reveal itself as the night began to settle. As Adora made her way back into the castle, a wave of exhaustion passed over her. The emergency that summoned her to the Whispering Woods in the first place wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. Since the Horde’s attempted invasion of Bright Moon, the woods were severely damaged by the effects of the Black Garnet. In an effort to conserve the forest and to restore the homes of several of its residents, many Plumerians came to provide relief alongside Bright Moon’s military forces. The woods, being magical in nature, presents many challenges to that can be life-threatening to those not native to it.

Earlier that day, a large creature attacked some of the Plumerian relief workers after they accidentally disturbed its hibernation. While she was able to arrive quickly and easily pacify the creature, Adora was compelled to stay and help for much longer. Up until the sun began to set, she answered the eager questions of the excitable Plumerians and assisted in constructing new homes for the displaced residents of the woods. It’s not until about the fourth hour of walking around as She-Ra that Adora began to notice how absolutely draining it was.

Staying as She-Ra for that long wasn’t physically demanding, but as a warrior with heightened senses and abilities, it can become overwhelming. Adora found it difficult to express exactly how it made her feel, but it was almost as if everything around her became “dense” – as if she was simultaneously too slow to respond and moving way too fast. Sometimes turning into She-Ra wasn’t necessary for her to feel this way, as simply being in a crowd for too long can cause similar feelings of overstimulation. Why this is or for how long this has been going on escapes Adora, but when she does get this way, the thing she craves the most is a quiet, comfortable place to rest.

And fortunately, Adora knew exactly where to go for that.

While she had been sleeping in the same room as Glimmer for some time now, it was never in the same bed. Of the occasional times they found themselves asleep together, it was always in the context of friends spending time together. But now, knowing the extent of her feelings for Glimmer, Adora wasn’t sure exactly how this was going to play out. Glimmer was always patient and warm with Adora, and there were times in retrospect when Adora thought something else was going on between them. But the last thing she wanted was to be like Bow and go in blind. After all, Glimmer could just be sweet, caring, and beautiful with all of her friends, right? Adora needed a way to determine how Glimmer felt about her, and she had her methods.

It was just like a battle strategy.

A strategy, however, that could wait until tomorrow. Adora opened the door to Glimmer’s room quietly, the lack of lights suggesting she was already asleep. Although it was hard to tell sometimes since Glimmer’s bed was like a chandelier so high up in the ceiling. Quickly changing out of her regular outfit and into her pajamas, Adora was eager to slip into her bed. It was less of a bed by most standards and more of a table with a blanket on it, but the mattress was perfectly firm for her.

Adora lifted the covers and lay down on the bed, only to notice something was different. A pillow must have been slipped into her bed without her knowing. At least, Adora guessed it was a pillow. Upon touching it, she found it to be soft, warm, and cuddly – all traits shared with a pillow. As Adora wrapped her arms around it and gave it a good hug, it was one she began to enjoy. However, it was only when she began to feel her pillow breathing that her conclusion might be inaccurate as panic ensued.

Lifting the covers quickly, under the dim light of the room, Adora saw that she was actually getting intimate with Glimmer – who had apparently fallen asleep in her bed. Frozen in place for a moment, a variety of questions began to run through Adora’s head: what was Glimmer doing in her bed? Why was she not in her own? Was she waiting for me here? And why is Glimmer so nice to sleep next to? That last question was quickly pushed aside as Adora got up from her bed with care.

This was certainly a pickle. That’s what Adora was certain Bow would say if he were here, and maybe then it would be a little less awkward that you almost fell asleep cuddling the crush that has been wrecking your ability to think straight for weeks. It was hard to do anything straight at this point, as Adora wasn’t sure what to do. Either continue sleeping in her bed and possibly face those consequences or wake Glimmer and possibly have an even more awkward conversation. Adora sat on the floor next to her bed to think about her plan of action.

A reflection in the moonlight caught Adora’s eye as she spotted Glimmer’s journal resting on the floor. The scabbard on its cover glistened in an invitation to read its forbidden pages. Adora knew it was wrong, hell even scandalous, but perhaps this kind of information could be useful. Maybe Glimmer wrote down something about her favorite kinds of gifts, or what she thinks looks good on other people, or the secret to have everything be super easy and Glimmer liking her already. Adora wouldn’t know until she read it for herself.

Adora carefully picked up the book, and with her fingers on its worn cover, walked over to Glimmer’s desk and placed it back where it belonged. There was no possible way she was going to risk an invasion of privacy like that. While she didn’t think the movies she and Bow watched held much legitimate weight for determining the optimal approach to dating, she did know something like that was just the thing leading into the third act where they fight and both go their separate ways and the sad music plays for a long time until the side character comes and changes the protagonist’s mind. At least, that’s something she figured Bow would say. Adora just knew it was a terrible idea.

No, if she was going to do this, she was going to confront it head on.

Turning the lights on, Adora could hear Glimmer whimper in protest as she returned to the world of the living. She just wrapped the covers around her head in defiance of the cruel overhead lighting as Adora sat on the edge of the bed.

“Hey Glim, it’s me.”

Glimmer slowly sat up, groggy eyed and half asleep, only to burst into an alert state at the sight of Adora. Looking around quickly and realizing what she had done, Glimmer groaned and attempted to hide under the covers again, clearly embarrassed.

“Did I…Have you…Ah man…” Adora laughed softly as she removed the cover enough to see Glimmer covering her face under her hands.

“Yeah, you did. It’s okay, you could’ve just asked,” Adora said, “I mean, I’m not saying that I want you to not feel comfortable around me or anything like that. It’s just that I came in here and you were there and I didn’t know and –”

“Adora,” Glimmer interrupted,” I get it, I’m the one who should be doing the explaining around here.” She sat up and took a deep breath as she prepared to do exactly that. “I was waiting here for you to get back because I had something to tell you. It was really important and I guess I must have waited for long enough that I sort of fell asleep in your bed. But I understand that people need you and stuff, so I guess I should’ve known I that it would’ve been a while.” She looked at her hands, realizing something was missing and began searching for something. Adora took note.

“I moved your journal to your stuff over there, I saw it on the floor, I promise I didn’t read it,” Adora said, realizing that might just be an incriminating statement. But Glimmer only sighed in relief in response as Adora continued. “And its ok, really. It wasn’t anything major, but once you get there its hard to leave without doing something else. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done if the Woods are going to heal.” Adora placed a hand on Glimmer’s. “What did you want to tell me?”

Glimmer froze. A slight shade of pink began to form on her cheeks as she struggled to reply. “I, um, well it wasn’t anything major really, it can wait until tomorrow. Or later. Much later.” Adora returned with a puzzled look.

“Nothing major really? Glimmer, you waited for me to return for hours just to tell me whatever it is, it’s obviously important to you,” Adora said as she scooted closer to the princess in her bed. “I’m here now, and I’d like to know.” Adora was genuinely curious, as the conclusions she was jumping to in her head were more like excited leaping.

Glimmer was positively glowing red at this point, her lips scrunched up in defiance, as she finally sighed and gave in. “Ok, fine. I think I like someone. Like, really like someone, a lot. This is the first real time I’ve ever really felt this way, and I’m not sure what to do next.” Immediately after confessing how she felt, Glimmer hid under the covers once again. Adora took a moment to connect some dots and took a massive leap of faith. 

“It’s ok. Because I feel the exact same way,” Glimmer peered out of the cover as Adora continued explaining, “In fact, I’ve only really come to recognize how I felt very recently. Before, I never even considered what it meant to like someone and to want to be with them. But then I got to know someone, the person who was always there for me, and who made me feel safe and loved and –” Adora was interrupted by holding back her own sobs as her eyes became teary. “I just want her to understand how happy she makes me and how much she’s changed my life, but I have no idea how.”

Adora was beginning to face a part of her that she wasn’t always in touch with. A deep, wrenching feeling had her heart under arrest. She was in a strange mix of joy and sadness, as if finally admitting this to herself allowed her to drop the weight she had been carrying for years. She was not broken, and she did not need to be fixed, but she didn’t feel quite whole either. At least, she would if she didn’t have her friends, especially without Glimmer. It scared her to imagine a world without them, and this mixture of feelings suddenly poured over her floodgates and onto the sheets as her tears fell.

Almost instantly, Adora was met with the familiar feeling of Glimmer’s arms wrapped around her, hugging tighter than ever before. Gently shushing the taller of the two, Glimmer couldn’t bear to see the girl she loved cry – even if it was a good cry. Adora returned the embrace and the two of them sat together, each holding the other for support. Their heartbeats were both incredibly fast, but they slowly mellowed out as they hugged. Adora’s tears dried up as she sat and listened to Glimmer’s breathing, the warmth between them comforting her. The tension in the room was all but relieved as a yawn cut the ensuing silence. A whispered voice followed.

“Adora?”

“Hmm?”

“You don’t have to worry about knowing what to do all the time, I don’t think either of us really know. We can just take things slow,” Glimmer said, breaking the embrace and staring into Adora’s eyes. Adora was absolutely awestruck every time she got to see Glimmer’s eyes. It was almost as if the sparkles that naturally surrounded Glimmer were always twinkling in her deep auburn irises. It was just another thing that Adora could add to the ever-expanding _List of Things She Loved About Glimmer_.

Adora nodded in agreement. “Ok, I think, I think I like that idea,” she said in an equally soft voice as Glimmer’s, “Do…do you think we can sleep together tonight?” A tinge of embarrassment lined her voice at the request. Glimmer nodded as she quickly teleported to turn the lights off, returning to bed in a flash.

The two girls returned to holding each other, laying in the bed as the night continued. Adora closed her eyes and felt at ease, her heart now freed from many of the burdens it had been carrying. As they began to drift asleep, Glimmer shifted closer to Adora.

“We’ll just take it one step at a time, ok?” Glimmer whispered, followed with an adorably soft yawn. Adora nodded in reply and smiled as she too finally let rest overcome her.

One step at a time, not like a coordinated battle strategy, but a waltz for two.


End file.
